Seeking prescription opioids from physicians for nonmedical use among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting
Mary Clare Kennedy MA
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorThomas Kerr PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorKora DeBeck PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorHuiru Dong MSc
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorM.-J. Milloy PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorEvan Wood MD, PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kanna Hayashi PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Address correspondence to Dr. Hayashi, Urban Health Research Initiative, B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMary Clare Kennedy MA
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorThomas Kerr PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorKora DeBeck PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorHuiru Dong MSc
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorM.-J. Milloy PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorEvan Wood MD, PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kanna Hayashi PhD
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Address correspondence to Dr. Hayashi, Urban Health Research Initiative, B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Background and Objectives
Despite the high prevalence of prescription opioid (PO) misuse, little is known about the phenomenon of seeking POs for nonmedical use among high-risk populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID). We therefore sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of seeking POs from a physician for nonmedical use among PWID in Vancouver, Canada.
Methods
Cross-sectional data from two open prospective cohort studies of PWID in Vancouver were collected between June 2013 and May 2014 (n = 1252). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with seeking POs from physicians for nonmedical use.
Results
Of 1252 participants, 458 individuals (36.6%) reported ever trying to get a PO prescription from a physician for nonmedical use and, of these, 343 (74.9%, comprising 27.4% of the total sample) reported ever being successful. Variables independently and positively associated with PO-seeking behavior included older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.02), Caucasian ethnicity (AOR = 1.38), having ever overdosed (AOR = 1.32), having ever participated in methadone maintenance therapy (AOR = 1.90), having ever dealt drugs (AOR = 1.65), and having ever been refused a prescription for pain medication (AOR = 2.02) (all p < .05).
Discussion and Conclusions
We observed that PO-seeking behavior was common among this sample of PWID and associated with several markers of higher intensity drug use.
Scientific Significance
Our findings highlight the need to identify evidence-based public health and clinical strategies to mitigate PO misuse among PWID without compromising care for PWID with legitimate medical concerns. (Am J Addict 2016;25:275–282)
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